Matters of the heart under one roof

Thereís good news for those suffering from any kind of heart ailment. A 100-bed cardiac centre with modern amenities will come up at Magadh Hospital here.

Chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi would inaugurate the Patna Heart Institute (PHI), a unit of Magadh Hospital, on July 6.

City-based cardiologist Prabhat Kumar has been made executive director of PHI. Sharing information about the upcoming institute, he said: ďHeart diseases have increased five times in the past 10 years in Bihar. To cater to the needs of heart patients in the state, there is the need for an ultra modern heart institute, equipped with all facilities.

With the opening of PHI, those suffering from various types of heart diseases need not go outside the state for treatment. The institute would provide modern treatment facilities for the entire range of invasive and non-invasive cardiac procedures, including open-heart surgeries for adult as well as paediatric heart cases.

Magadh Hospital director Gopal Khemka said modern lifestyle diseases like diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and growing stress level have led to an increase in the number of heart patients lately. He attributed high incidence of heart ailments to excessive salt intake and consumption of junk food that contains high levels of fat.

He suggested daily half-an-hour brisk walks as a remedial measure for diabetic and obese patients.

A random survey conducted by a UK-based Heart Foundation in Patna recently had found that 27 per cent of polled candidates were prone to heart attacks and other heart-related ailments. The survey found most of the potential heart patients were aged between 20 and 30 years, he said.

The upcoming heart institute would not only serve as a state-of-the-art treatment centre, but also act as an academic-cum-training centre, Khemka said, adding the hospital also plans to offer Diplomate of National Board (DNB) degree. DNB is the title awarded by National Board of Examinations (NBE), an autonomous academic body under the ministry of health and family welfare, to candidates who successfully complete their postgraduate or postdoctoral medical education under it.

Dr Khemka further stated that for people belonging to BPL category, the hospital management would provide concessions, which will depend on person to person based on their financial status.

PHI CEO Amal Kumar said the institute would have 24-hour emergency facility, with outdoor patient department (OPD) running daily from 10am to 2pm (except on Saturdays and Sundays).

Dr Sanjay Santhalia of Magadh Hospital said the institute would consist of a 36-bed ICU of which five beds have been kept exclusively for patients undergoing open-heart surgery.